Fitness trackers can be watches and vice versa. But can Timex, a popular watchmaker, do fitness tracking properly? We find out in our review of the Timex Blink.

BGR Rating :

2.5/5

Highlights

The Timex Blink is priced at Rs 4,995.

The device is a smartwatch-fitness tracker hybrid.

It does have a step counter, but no heart rate sensor.

While the earliest fitness trackers may have just been display-less blocks or pills on your wrist, things have changed of late. Now, even affordable fitness trackers such as the Xiaomi Mi Band HRX Edition and Honor Band 3 sport small screens that give you some information right on your wrist, with you needing to refer to the app on your smartphone all the time. Naturally, that lets you use those fitness trackers as wristwatches as well.

This means that more wristwatch makers are seeing sense in being in the fitness tracker and connected wearable space. By offering connected devices, this helps traditional watchmakers appeal to a new set of buyers, namely tech-savvy buyers. We’ve already tried out the Diesel On Time Hybrid Smartwatch and the Fastrack Reflex, and now we’re going to be reviewing the Timex Blink.

A collaborative effort between American watchmaker Timex and Indian smartwatch startup Witworks, the Timex Blink combines the expertise of the two companies into one product. It’s a digital wristwatch that’s meant to give you a bit of fitness-friendly capability as well. We’ve given the Rs 4,995 Timex Blink a go, and here’s our review.

Timex Blink Design and Specifications

While options such as the Honor Band 3 and Xiaomi Mi Band HRX Edition cost much less, the Timex Blink is a bit more expensive at Rs 4,995. This is presumably because of the branding and design effort as well as the fact that two individual organizations have collaborated on this. While it’s hard to comment on long-term longevity and quality right now, the Timex Blink does seem a bit expensive when compared to the two options mentioned above, which are priced significantly lower.

When compared directly with the Rs 2,799 Honor Band 3, the Timex Blink comes across as under-specced and lacking in features. It doesn’t have a heart rate sensor, which is a significant shortcoming for a product that costs over Rs 2,000 more than a product that does. What you do get on the Timex Blink is step counting, activity and sleep monitoring, a mono-color OLED screen, smart alarm and an SOS emergency trigger.

It does not have a heart rate sensor, which is a significant shortcoming for a product that costs over Rs 2,000 more than a product that does

The device comes with two detachable strap options in the box. The metal option looks and feels better, but the rubber option is more comfortable and easily adjustable. The device is charged through its micro-USB port at the bottom; unfortunately there’s no cable in the box, so you’ll have to use the one which came with your micro-USB smartphone or buy an aftermarket option.

You do of course get some connected features as well, including caller ID and alerts on your wrist when your phone receives a notification. This is in the form of vibration and a small logo of the app that’s received a notification, or the name/number of the caller flashing on the screen. Unfortunately, there’s no way to control notifications on the iOS app once you’ve enabled them. Additionally, logging out of the app also wipes out the data attached to your profile. It’s fair to say that the device isn’t quite as user-friendly as it’s made out to be.

Also Read

Timex Blink Performance

Whether it is step, sleep or activity tracking, the Timex Blink falls short on all counts. Tracking is awkward and irregular, and any count I was able to collect was fairly inaccurate compared to some of the other figures I got from other trackers. The connection isn’t always stable either, and the tracker often drops its connection to the phone, even if you move about 10-15 feet away or go into another room.

Sleep tracking is particularly inaccurate, and the app’s analysis of the data is rudimentary and simplified to say the least. On one occasion, when I had taken off the Blink and placed it on a table, the tracker registered this as sleep hours. The lack of a heart rate sensor is the biggest weakness here, as I’m simply not getting enough tracking and information to justify the price of the product.

The app itself is acceptable enough in terms of design and interface, but once again, the lack of features and details in the information provided is disappointing. Perhaps the only thing that the Timex Blink does well is tell the time and offer basic notifications. In every other way, it definitely does not feel like a Rs 5,000 product. You will get better performance from the Honor Band 3 and Xiaomi Mi Band HRX Edition.

Battery life on the Timex Blink is decent though. With everything connected and running, I was able to go 10 days between charges. The battery life is comparable with what you’d get on both competing devices mentioned above, and being able to charge using the micro-USB port is convenient. However, on the whole, the Timex Blink falls short as a fitness tracker and smart watch, barely justifying its price tag.

Verdict

Simply put, the Timex Blink isn’t a very good fitness tracker. While it looks good, fits well and does have a basic level of competence when it comes to smart connectivity and fitness tracking, it falls short on accuracy and control. If you’re looking for good battery life and some basic level of connectivity and tracking, the Blink could work for you. However, you’ll find yourself better served by more affordable devices such as the Honor Band 3 and Xiaomi Mi Band 2 or Mi Band HRX Edition.